Hautamäki, Antti

Abstract [en]

Based on strong philosophical traditions, cognitive science results and recent discourses within the discipline of knowledge organization, the authors argue for a perspectivist approach to concepts in information systems. In their approach ontology is dissociated from concept, and instead conceptualization is left up to the epistemic activity of the information system user. A new spatial ontology model is explicated that supports multiple perspective-relative conceptual projections of the same domain. With an example domain and a demo application they provide a preliminary proof of concept of how different perspectives yield alternative classifications, categorizations and hierarchies, all the way to a different ways of narrating the domain. The results suggest the potential of multi-perspective knowledge organization systems that not support search and retrieval of information but even the articulation and conceptual disposition of information.